Unit 3:Ch. 15 and 22 Study Guide

  1. Explain why there is a danger of water wars or economic competition between countries for food imports in the Middle East.
  2. What percentage of the earth’s total volume of water is easily available for use by people?
  3. Explain how the water in some aquifers can be depleted.
  4. About what percentage of the water we withdraw each year is used for (a) irrigation, (b) industry, and (c) residences and cities?
  5. Create a table that will illustrate what the major water uses and problems of (a) the eastern United States and (b) the western United States are?
  6. List and describe four causes of water shortages. (use the word desiccation in your answer)
  7. List six ways to increase the supply of fresh water in a particular area. (use desalination in your answer)
  8. Create a table that will list the major advantages and disadvantages of building large dams and reservoirs to supply fresh water.
  1. List the disadvantages of supplying more water by withdrawing groundwater. Explain why excessive groundwater withdrawal can be viewed as an example of the tragedy of the commons.
  2. What is saltwater intrusion, and what harm does it cause?
  3. In a table list ways to prevent or slow groundwater depletion. (Use Fig. 15-18)
  4. List the advantages and disadvantages of increasing supplies of fresh water by desalination of salt water.
  5. How useful are seeding clouds and towing icebergs in increasing to increase water supplies in water-short areas?
  6. Describe three major irrigation systems and list them in order of their efficiency of water use.
  7. In a table list the major benefits and disadvantages of floods. List ways in which humans increase the damages from floods. Describe the nature and causes of the flooding problems in Bangladesh.
  8. List 4 ways to reduce the risks of flooding.
  9. List economic ways to use the world’s water more sustainably. (use Fig. 15-26)
  10. How can you reduce your use and waste of water. (use fig. 15-27)
  1. What is water pollution?
  2. Distinguish between point and nonpoint sources of water pollution, and give two examples of each type. Which type is easier to control? Why?
  3. What percentage of the people in developing countries does not have access to clean drinking water? About how people die each year from infectious diseases caused by drinking contaminated water?
  4. Explain how climate change from projected global warming can decrease the quality of surface water.
  5. Describe how religious beliefs, cultural traditions, poverty, and a large population interact to cause severe water pollution of the GangesRiver in India.
  6. Distinguish between eutrophication and cultural eutrophication. What are the major causes of cultural eutrophication? List three methods for preventing cultural eutrophication and three methods for cleaning up cultural eutrophication. Summarize the good and bad news about attempts to reduce water pollution in the Great Lakes.
  7. Using fig. 22-9 list 5 major sources of groundwater contamination. List reasons why groundwater pollution is such a serious problem.
  8. Using fig. 22-11 create a table of ocean pollution sources and their pollutant descriptions.
  9. Describe mechanical and chemical methods for cleaning up oil spills in the ocean.
  1. Distinguish among septic tanks, primary sewage treatment, and secondary sewage treatment as ways to reduce water pollution.
  2. List ways to deal with the sludge produced by waste treatment methods. Discuss the controversy over using sewage sludge to fertilize crops. List two ways to prevent toxic and hazardous wastes from reaching sewage treatment plants.
  3. Describe the use of wetlands and wastewater gardens to treat sewage based on working with nature.
  4. List three low-tech ways to purify drinking water in developing countries.
  5. How is the quality of drinking water protected in the United States?
  6. List the pros and cons of drinking bottled water.
  7. List 4 things you can do to help reduce water pollution.